Big Screen Blurb: Sherlock Holmes--A Game of Shadows

He's one man who can answer the age old question that people have been asking for years: What's up Holmes? He's Sherlock Holmes and he puts out a mean sequel in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Picture it: It's 1891. Sherlock (Robert Downey Jr.) is back and he's as eccentric as ever. Okay, many would argue as 'weird' as ever.  They're probably right, but there is a definite method to his madness. It may not always be appreciated by his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Jude Law). Actually, ole Wattsy is more concerned with his upcoming wedding and honeymoon. Unfortunately, before the happy couple can get down and dirty Watson is pulled into a caper by Holmes. At the heart of the problem is Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris). He's your run-of-the-mill terrorist looking to capitalize on an arms race that could start a world war. Yadayadayada Inspector Holmes and Dr. Watson battle Moriarty and his liege to the death in an effort to save the world. 

It's good. I'll go with 4.0 Stars. It's a story that takes the word 'calculated' to new heights and it's told expertly by Director, Guy Ritchie. Give cast and crew a ton of credit here. They deliver big time in creating 1890's London, Paris and more, while making it come to life in a lively plot. Downey Jr--great as always; and Law's Watson is personally my favorite role for him in a not-so-shabby career. The mirroring of Holmes-Watson and Moriarty and his side-kick is excellent. You essentially have Holmes going up against an adversary who is just like him. He's just as bright...just as calculating and nearly as eccentric. Meanwhile, the side-kicks share an interesting battle as well. It makes for a good and quite entertaining match-up.

Yeah, the holiday season is beginning to wind down, but the theatres are jumping...hmm--kinda like Holmes and Moriarty. Make this one a flick to see and see BIG! Enjoy the rest of the season! And don't forget to nominate your favorite actor, actress and best flick in the 2011 Yada's!

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Big Screen Blurb: We Bought a Zoo

What else is an adventurer to do? Why not buy a zoo? Okay, so he's not really an adventurer per se...more of a journalist whose writing has often bordered on the adventurous. But, come on, it's not really a zoo. At least not yet. So, why buy a zoo? Why not?

Meet Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon). He just lost his wife to illness. He's now a clueless father of two who is equally clueless about fitting into life as a single father. There's Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones). She's five-ish and Benjamin's staple. Then there's Dylan (Colin Ford). He's more like a staple remover. Dylan is 14 and has an uncanny knack for trouble, struggling grades and drawings of disfigurement. He's just been expelled. As it turns out, his expulsion is a golden nugget of a last straw for ole Benjamin. He decides to move the family and make a fresh start. Actually, he decides to take his life savings and create a fresh start in a lion's pit...well, it's actually a zoo. That's right, 40+ species of animal-lovin' goodness that Rosie loves and Dylan fights tooth-and-nail.

The zoo is struggling to re-open. It's makeshift staff  includes Kelly (Scarlett Johansson), Robin (Patrick Fugit) and Lily (Elle Fanning) to name just a few. All, including Benjamin and Rosie, are working toward the common goal of opening in July with a zoo that is completely up to code. Of course, that is something that Inspector Ferris (John Michael Higgins) would rather not see. Yadayadayada the crew works to overcome an ark full of obstacles while the family attempts to heal from its loss and right their own ship...uhh, I mean ark.

It's good--check that, it's GREAT! I'll go with 4.5 Stars on this one. We Bought a Zoo is that good. It's a complex formula of 'funny' and 'heart-felt life reality' (it's based on a true story, ya know) with plenty of great animals...and let's face it; I'm one who has the "I like the humans, but I love the animals" atttitude.

All things considered, this flick really touched me on a lot of levels. Yes, it was fun. Yes, I loved the animals; but it was far more reaching. I think We Bought a Zoo really spoke to me because I see so much of my childhood through Dylan's eyes. No, I never got kicked out of school; nor was I talented in desolate drawing. I did, however, deal with the same type of issues he was experiencing. As an adult, I have since been able to see that situation more empathetically through my Dad's eyes, which was something I wasn't able to do at 15.

This movie really brought many of those issues to light, which came to a crucindo in a very powerful scene between Damon and Ford. Perhaps the scene was so effective to me, because I had experienced so much of what they had--zoo aside. Maybe it was just a damn good scene. Regardless, powerful performances meet ab inspirational story that I highly recommend for big screen viewing. Go and go BIG on this one.

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Big Screen Blurb: Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol

Narrow escapes. High precision strategical strikes. Death and gravity defying stunts involving mega high skyscrapers. No, I'm not talking about The Muppets here. It's MI-4 (that's Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol for all of my code impaired readers); and it's good.

Picture it: a Russian prison. Meet Sergei...okay, really it's Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), but he's rotting in a Russian jail for murdering six Serbian assassins. It was a heart-felt revenge hit for taking out their target, Ethan's beloved wife. Of course, it was unsanctioned so the USA is offering no help. Therefore, Ethan sits. That is, until the USA needs his super spy services again. Enter Jane (Paula Paton) and Benji (Simon Pegg). They're sent in to bust out Ethan and for good cause. There is nuclear trouble brewing. It involves a guy who has stolen the Soviet launch codes and is positioning himself to wipe out much of the planet by starting a nuclear war. Ethan and team are joined by Intel Analyst, Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and yadayadayada plenty of blood, death defying stunts, explosions and gun powder later, the world is on the brink, baby!

Yeah, it's good. I'll go with 3.5 Stars on this one. Sure, maybe it's not MI-3, but you can't have that 1-2 punch of Cruise-Seymour Hoffman every flick, right!?! It is, however, far better than MI-2 and maybe a little better than the initial MI offering. It's 133 minutes of solid plot and action chalk full of those precise strikes and narrow misses that most action flicks, especially the Mission Impossible franchise, are known for providing. Okay, maybe it's not all plausible, but that's Hollywood, babe!

If action is your thing, you'll love this one. I'm not a huge action monger, but when the plot is as important, if not more so, than the bloody explosions, then I can deal...and actually enjoy. MI-4 falls squarely in that niche.

Plus, you've got a little 'funny' to throw into the mix with Benji's newly upgraded role into the agent field, which plays well through Pegg. Cruise nails Agent Hunt, as usual and P2 (P-Squared...aka Paula Paton) is a fun Jane. The real new main addition is Renner. This guy is solid in about anything that I've seen him in and he doesn't disappoint in MI-4. There is little doubt that we'll see a return performance from Brandt when MI-5 rolls around. The cinematography was great, too. This was especially true in Dubai, which has always been a fascinating place. And, that hotel showcased in the Dubai sequences...wow...amazing.

All in all, if you're looking for an action flick to take the edge off the holiday mush...check it out and go BIG. It's a fun, nicely put together movie that flows fairly well, with little-to-no dead spots, but plenty of dead peeps. Enjoy and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all...regardless of how you observe the season, or if you don't recognize it all! Best wishes...

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Big Screen Blurb: The Descendants

It's tough to roll with life's punches. It's also difficult to realize who you really are in life; and, equally tough to realize one's role in his own life. In short, it's tough being Matt King (George Clooney). Yeah--on the surface that might not seem to be the case. But, as usual, the story is always below the surface.

For Matt, the surface reveals a successful lawyer living in Oahu. Paradise, right? He's got a wife and two daughters. Further, he is the controlling trustee in a historic land trust involving generations of family and more than a billion dollars. Looking below the surface, however, is far more revealing. Matt's wife is in a coma stemming from a boating accident. This leaves him as the primary parent, which he is quick to admit that his parenting role has always been that of an understudy. Matt then learns that his comatose wife has been cheating on him. Fuel added to that fire is this looming land deal, of which his numerous cousins are counting on him to make them millionaires. Yadayadayada Matt tries to cope with a very tough stretch while growing into his role as a father and his new life.

It's good. I'll go with 4.0 Stars. Make no mistake, this is not a high energy story. It's a meaningful tale that effectively covers life's ups and downs, with a strong focus on a few very tough valleys. With that in mind, it's a story that will drag at times, but never loses you. Clooney is outstanding and may well get a nomination for this one when Oscar time approaches.

Further, the three kids in this flick are great and solidify the story. There's Scottie (Amarie Miller), the youngest daughter. She's ten with a ton of pre-pubescent 'tude. The eldest daughter is Alexandra (Shailene Woodley), who takes attitude to new and self-destructive heights. She's recently had all kinds of problems with mom, which the ole parents had hoped boarding school would cure. Wrong answer. Finally, is Alex's friend, Sid (Nick Krause). He's the wild card in the group. He's a typical teenager who is dealing with some atypical problems himself. As with every other 16 year old, Sid has times in which he displays wisdom beyond his years, while at other times, displaying baffling stupidity.  Overall, each actor supported Clooney very well and pushed the story along very meaningfully.

It's a good flick that simultaneously showcases life in all it's trouble and glory. It's worth a view, and a BIG view at that--unless meaningful dramas and lessons in life aren't your gig. (If that's the case...skip it altogether and get an oil change...you ROBOT!) Just one small piece of advice: Don't see this flick as a matinee. Go late...maybe a 10PM showing. It drew a lot of old farts to the matinee and old people talk very LOUDLY during a movie. Actually, on several ocassions I would have yelled "Shut the hell up!" But considering the numerous couples engaging in high-volume chatter, there's no way they would have heard me. Just sayin'.

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Big Screen Blurb: New Year's Eve

If you've followed my yada, you know these lil reviews follow a simple formula. I give you the basics of the storyline and yadayadayada through the core of the tale. That's just to make sure that nothing is given away that you need to see first-hand. Then, a humble opinion is provided for you to do with what you will. The chances of that happening with a review of New Year's Eve is IMPOSSIBLE!!!

Here's how it works: You take an infinitesimal number of big name actors...throw them into an equally infinitesimal number of vignettes and round it out by bringing a few of those vignettes together. There you have it. The formula for Valentine's Day and now New Year's Eve. I think this concept is growing on me. After all, I thought Valentine's Day was, well, okay. There was just too much going on for me to truly embrace it. I needed two or three storylines with a core cast of 8-10 celebs...not 10 storylines with 40 big names and a Dramamine. But--I digress. Again, this concept is growing on me, because whereas Valentine's Day was flat. New Year's Eve was very entertaining. I'll go with 3.5 Stars. It was actually fun watching for the next cameo appearance. Of course, that's not to mention the core cast of seemingly hundreds which included everyone from Robert DeNiro and Josh Duhammel to Seth Meyers and Sarah Jessica Parker.

It was also fun watching the various stories come together. Some of those were surprising and others, well, not so much. It was, however, an entertaining two hours that is just plain fun. No real drama. No earth shattering performances. Just a fun ride with tons of great actors--like a big screen variety hour...check that--two hours. I mean, come on...anyone who is anyone in Hollywood is in this thing--with the exception of Ellen, of course.

Good messages abound too. My fave: Your outlook on life will instantly improve if you quit worrying about 'what if' and focus on embracing the 'what is'. That's good stuff, baby. Yoda-esque wisdom! Perfect timing too with holiday stuff upon us that so many dread and others flat-out eat up. (Yeah...I'm in the 'eat up' column)

Big Screen? Hmm...tough call. It really depends on what you're looking for. After all, we've got some good action stuff coming up soon. Some deep stuff coming up as well. New Year's Eve is a great fit, however, if you're just out with some friends and looking for a fun, kick-back movie to help repair any frazzle left in wake of the holiday season. I went BIG on this because...hmm...because it's what everyone wanted to see and I knew I wouldn't rent it after the holiday. (What would be the point in that, right?) So, go BIG if the mood and situation is right. Chances are, you'll enjoy the ride.

Happy Holidays!
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Big Screen Blurb: The Sitter

Take a babysitter who stuffs a kid's face with three boxes of donuts...locks him in the closet with a TV that is showing an endless loop of light skin flix on Cinemax. In that parental nightmare of a scenario, you still probably have a better babysitter than ole Jonah Hill in The Sitter; at least that's how it starts.

Noah (Hill) is a college flunky and all-around floundering, self-centered, twenty-something. He's got a girlfriend, but he doesn't--she's just interested in his tongue and potential drug-buying skills. He's got a dad who is out of the picture and literally could not care less about him. And, he's got a babysitting gig, which Noah is about as excited about as his "girlfriend" is about recipricating. Therefore, Noah's evening looks bleak until said 'gf' promises him sex in return for buying some cocaine from the local freaky, deaky drug-king, Karl (Sam Rockwell).

Enter the three kids. They are neglected rich kids and battling their own issues. Blithe (Landry Blender) is the youngest. She's about five and is stuck on looking and behaving like a combo of a Kardasian and Paris Hilton. Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez) is adopted. He's quickly rejecting his new family before they have an opportunity to reject him. Finally, there's Slater. He's thirteen and gay; and thus, dealing with all of the anxiety brought on by that combination. Noah is forced to take the kiddies with him for the drug score and the...uhh...other score. That's when things get out of hand. Rodrigo steals from the drug lord and all hell breaks loose. Yadayadayada...Noah tries to make it right for all, while learning that helping others is often the best therapy for helping yourself.

It's good. I'll go with 3.0 Stars on this one. It started funny...hit a point where I thought it was going to quickly fall apart, but then rebounded and rounded into a nice flick. Sure, there are some roll your eyes moments, but it's worth a watch. Jonah continues his role through Hollywood and plays Noah well. Ultimately, it's a great message. Noah sees the traits that he struggled with through the kids in his charge. With that, he grows up by helping the kids deal with their issues. Noah helps Blithe grow up and start acting like a five year old instead of Paris Hilton. He helps Slater accept himself, who promptly helps Rodrigo embrace his siblings and new family.

There's a lot out there in movieland. This might be a rental for you when it comes out on video in April. It will be a well-spent 82 minutes, when you do get to it; and ole Noah might've taught us all something while learning something himself.

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